It’s taken 6 years but Lionel Richie is back at the UK No 1 spot as “Hello” sprints 5-1 and sells 77,000 into the bargain, “Can’t Slow Down” is still on the rise 7-6 this week and marks a new high in Richie’s solo career illustrating that his decision to leave the Commodores was the right one. Nena’s “99 Red Balloons” drops 1-2 (63,000) but we’ll see how well the track has done on the YTD update in 2 week’s time.
A one time backing group for disco star Sylvester, The Weather Girls used to be called “Two Tons O’ Fun” and a scored a few US Disco hits in the early 80s. A rebranding followed and now they have a top 10 hit with “It’s Raining Men” which soars 11-5 (40,000) this week, a vast improvement on the No 73 position the song achieved last year. The song was offered to and turned down by Diana Ross, Barbra Streisand, Cher and Donna Summer but the Weather Girls prove it has potential.
The credit might be reversed but it makes no odds to the public, yes Galaxy & Phil Fearon had a top 10 hit last year with “Dancing Tight” and subsequently scored two more hits of lessening chart positions throughout the remainder of 1983. Now the credit reads Phil Fearon & Galaxy and the band are back in the top 10 with “What Do I Do” which rises 13-7 (36,000) with only three more slots to go to match the peak of “Dancing Tight”. Those who like the sound of his music will have to wait until the summer for the debut album.
You won’t have to wait that long for Bananarama’s eponymous second album which is out next month and is again written and produced in the main by the group along with Jolley & Swain. The band have taken their time to record it with the first single from it “Cruel Summer” reaching No 8 way back in July 1983 and now 8 months later we get single number two, but it proves to be their sixth top 10 single out of 7 releases with only their Christmas 1982 single “Cheers Then” proving the weak link. “Robert De Nero’s Waiting” rockets 22-8 (33,000).
Much like Toyah and Nena, Sade are a band who take their name from their female lead vocalist and have generated a considerable amount of press from the more “serious” quarter of the record industry throughout 1983 which now leads to their debut single “Your Love Is King” smashing 20-9 (33,000) expect the first album in the summer.
So what else is going on? Break Machine hold at No 3 on just 48,000 whilst heading the wrong way are Kool & The Gang 2-4 (45,000), Nik Kershaw 4-6 (39,000) and Van Halen 7-10 (32,000)
https://forum.popjustice.com/thread...-by-week-1984-1985.38232/page-11#post-3574566